Superman Smashes the Klan

Add another title to the list of DC’s wonderful standalone graphic novels for teens!

In this homage to a Superman radio broadcast from the mid-1940s, Gene Luen Yang reimagines Superman’s battle against the KKK through the eyes of a young Chinese-American girl, Roberta Lee, and her family. When Roberta’s family moves into the suburbs of Metropolis, they are met with anger and suspicion from some of their white neighbors, leading to a burning cross on their lawn one night. Meanwhile, Superman is still in the process of discovering his abilities (did you know he can fly? Because he didn’t!) and trying to figure out what his role is as both a hero and a reporter.

Yang parallels Roberta’s struggle to establish her own identity with Clark Kent’s discovery and acceptance of his alien heritage (er...spoilers?). I really liked how both characters were able to help each other with their problems, instead of just having Superman swoop in and fix everything by himself. Superheroes have problems too! In addition, the artwork in this book is so much fun - vibrant and colorful and full of emotion. Overall, I thought this was a great intro to both Superman’s history and Gene Luen Yang’s work.